China blocks Nvidia H200 purchases despite US approval, pushing domestic chip development
16 Sources
[1]
Trump says China is blocking Nvidia H200 purchases despite US approval -- says country 'chose not to' sanction purchases, pushing homegrown chips instead
10 Chinese firms have U.S. approval to buy H200s, but Beijing won't let them. President Donald Trump has said that Beijing is refusing to let Chinese companies buy Nvidia's H200 AI chips, telling reporters aboard Air Force One after the conclusion of a two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
[2]
Exclusive: US clears H200 chip sales to 10 China firms as Nvidia CEO looks for breakthrough
May 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. has cleared around 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip, the H200, but not a single delivery has been made so far, three people familiar with the matter said, leaving a major technology deal in limbo as CEO Jensen Huang seeks a breakthrough in
[3]
Jensen Huang snubbed by White House for President Trump's China state visit -- Nvidia CEO not on roster, which includes Apple's Tim Cook and Elon Musk
One expert says this is a sign that Beijing won't be getting advanced AI chips anytime soon. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is surprisingly not among the business leaders invited to join President Donald Trump as he visits China from May 13 to 15, 2026. One source familiar with the matter confirmed this
[4]
US reportedly allows 10 Chinese companies to buy NVIDIA's coveted H200 AI chips - Engadget
The US Commerce Department has reportedly given 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, TikTok parent company ByteDance, retailer JD.com, Lenovo and Foxconn, the permission to purchase NVIDIA's second-best H200 processors. According to Reuters, however, NVIDIA has yet to make a delivery. In
[5]
Nvidia's Future in China Remains Unclear After Trump-Xi Summit
When Jensen Huang, Nvidia's chief executive, joined the group of American business leaders traveling with President Trump to Beijing at the last minute this week, many took it as a sign that progress was in store for the company's long-stalled sales in China. But as the summit between Mr. Trump
[6]
US clears H200 sales to 10 Chinese firms, but not a single chip has shipped
Washington has approved Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, JD.com, and six others to buy Nvidia's H200, with each licence good for up to 75,000 units. Beijing has told its tech sector to wait, and Jensen Huang has now been added to Trump's Beijing trip to try to break the deadlock. The US has cleared
[7]
Nvidia CEO Huang not going to China during Trump visit, source says
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab CEO Jensen Huang is not going to Beijing during President Donald Trump's trip to China this week, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. Huang was not invited, the source said, with the White House focusing more on
[8]
Jensen Huang skips Trump's China business delegation
The Nvidia CEO is not on the list of US executives travelling to Beijing for the Trump-Xi summit. Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla's Elon Musk are among those attending; the trip's focus is reportedly agriculture, manufacturing, and aviation. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will not join President Donald
[9]
The US has approved the sale of Nvidia H200 chips to 10 Chinese firms, but sources say they're still waiting for the go-ahead from China itself
In the midst of a pretty strained trade relationship with China, US President Donald Trump recently took a jet full of tech leaders to the country to negotiate deals. The first of which appears to be the approval of sales of Nvidia's second most powerful AI GPU, the H200, to the region. The caveat
[10]
China market for Nvidia AI chips to open 'over time': CEO Jensen Huang - The Economic Times
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expects China to eventually open its market to high-end US chips that can train and run artificial intelligence systems. "My sense is that over time the market will open," added Huang, CEO of Nvidia - the world's most valuable company, due to huge demand for its AI
[11]
China's Largest Retailer, JD, Is Selling Banned NVIDIA RTX 5090 & RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs, But These Are Definitely Smuggled
As President Trump, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, and other executives make their way to China, the US has purportedly decided to ease restrictions on the sales of NVIDIA's advanced AI GPUs to China. With reports suggesting that the H200 chips are now available for order for several Chinese companies, a
[12]
Trump Clears Nvidia H200 Sales To Alibaba, Tencent And 8 Others, But Beijing Halts Deliveries - NVIDIA (N
Deals In Limbo Despite US Green Light Lenovo confirmed it "is one of several companies approved to sell H200 in China as part of Nvidia's export license." Each approved customer can buy up to 75,000 chips. However, not a single delivery has been made. Reuters reports that Chinese firms pulled
[13]
NVIDIA To Claw Back Lost China Market With H200 Approval After US Curbs Crushed Its 95% Share Down To Nothing
The US Government has approved NVIDIA's GPU sales to China, allowing 10 Chinese firms to access the Hopper H200 GPU. NVIDIA CEO made a last-minute change in his plans to tag alongside US President, Donald J Trump, on his China visit. US President Trump was accompanied by several tech CEOs and
[14]
Chip export controls not major topic in China talks, US trade rep Greer tells Bloomberg News
May 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg TV in an interview on Friday that U.S. export controls on semiconductor chips were not a major topic of discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing. The comments suggest a breakthrough on selling Nvidia's advanced H200
[15]
Chip export controls not major topic in China talks, US trade rep Greer says
May 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday that U.S. export controls on semiconductor chips were not a major topic of discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing. The comments suggest a breakthrough on selling Nvidia's advanced H200 chips to China remains far
[16]
Ten Chinese firms reportedly cleared for Nvidia H200 chips
Beijing is reportedly slowing orders, fearing that these imports could undermine its domestic semiconductor industry. Chinese authorities are also tightening oversight of foreign technological dependencies at a time when local players like Huawei are gaining prominence. The H200 represents Nvidia's
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The US Commerce Department approved roughly 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia's H200 AI chips, but Beijing is blocking the purchases to steer investment toward domestic chipmakers like Huawei. Despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joining President Trump's Beijing summit, the impasse remains, leaving billions in potential revenue frozen as the US-China tech rivalry intensifies.
US Clears H200 Chip Sales But No Deliveries Made
The US Commerce Department has approved around 10 Chinese companies to buy Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip, the Nvidia H200, yet not a single delivery has been made, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter
2
. The approved buyers include tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and JD.com, with distributors Lenovo and Foxconn also receiving clearance1
. Each approved customer can purchase up to 75,000 chips under US licensing terms, either directly from Nvidia or through authorized intermediaries2
.
Source: Engadget
China is Blocking Nvidia H200 Purchases to Boost Domestic Industry
President Donald Trump revealed that Beijing is refusing to let Chinese companies buy the chips, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that China "chose not to" approve the purchases because "they want to develop their own"
1
. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed this assessment, stating that "the Chinese central government has not let them, as of yet, buy the chips, because they're trying to keep their investment focused on their own domestic industry"2
. Chinese firms that had placed purchase orders with Nvidia earlier this year later informed the company they couldn't follow through after receiving guidance from Beijing1
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Source: Tom's Hardware
Complex US Export Controls Create Additional Hurdles
The US side of the export licensing framework is now largely in place, but it comes with stringent conditions. Under terms formalized in January, each Nvidia H200 must pass through US territory for third-party inspection before re-export to China, and Nvidia must remit a 25% fee on every sale to the US Treasury
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. This arrangement has prompted unease in Beijing over potential tampering or hidden vulnerabilities4
. Chinese buyers must also demonstrate they have installed "sufficient security procedures" and would not use the chips for military technology concerns2
.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Joins Trump-Xi Summit Seeking Breakthrough
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who was not initially listed in the White House delegation to Beijing, was added at the last minute and joined the trip after an invitation from President Donald Trump, boarding Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska
1
. His presence raised expectations of a breakthrough on H200 sales, but Trump's post-summit comments suggest the impasse remains1
. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said any movement on H200 purchases is now up to China, calling it "a sovereign decision for China"5
.
Source: Wccftech
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US-China Tech Rivalry Leaves Billions in Revenue Frozen
The stakes are significant for Nvidia's future in China. Before US export controls tightened, Nvidia commanded about 95% of China's advanced chip market, with China once accounting for 13% of its revenue . Huang has previously estimated the country's AI market alone would be worth $50 billion this year
2
. Nvidia's $78 billion annual revenue guidance assumes zero H200 recovery from China, but analysts estimate a functioning export framework would restore $3.5 billion to $4 billion in annual revenue from the country1
. Huang has warned that Nvidia's market share of AI accelerators in China AI chips has effectively fallen to zero2
.Homegrown Chip Development Gains Momentum as Alternative
Beijing's hesitation reflects a strategic calculation, as it fears imports could weaken a push to develop homegrown AI chips
2
. While China AI chips still lag Nvidia, firms like DeepSeek increasingly tout their reliance on domestic chips including those developed by Huawei2
. Just before Trump met with Xi, DeepSeek announced for the first time that its latest artificial intelligence model had been optimized to run on Huawei chips, marking a milestone in China's quest for technological self-sufficiency5
. This shift allows homegrown chipmakers like Huawei, Cambricon, Alibaba, and Baidu to gain ground as they fill the vacuum left behind by the American chipmaker3
. The US-China tech rivalry now snarls even approved trade, leaving the world's most valuable company caught between dueling national priorities and semiconductor ambitions2
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